Former Detroit Lions DE Ronnell Lewis clears waivers

Justin Rogers | MLive.comDefensive end Ronnell Lewis went unclaimed on waivers, two days after being released by the Detroit Lions.

ALLEN PARK -- Ronnell Lewis is a free agent.

The former Detroit Lions defensive end went unclaimed on waivers, two days after being released by the team. He's now free to sign with any team.

Lewis, a fourth-round pick in 2012, was squeezed out of his role in Detroit after the Lions revamped their defensive line with bigger, longer defensive ends. The team selected Ezekiel Ansah with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 draft and signed free agents Jason Jones and Israel Idonije.

Lewis appeared in eight games as a rookie, almost exclusively on special teams, tallying two tackles. In three preseason games this year, he was productive, registering four tackles, a sack and two quarterback pressures.

Although it might not have mattered, given his fit in Detroit's defensive scheme, Lewis certainly didn't help his case for a roster spot by getting arrested for a bar fight in Oklahoma in April.

He fell further behind in the competition for a job when a non-football injury caused him to miss the first five practices of training camp.